South Blasts: Thai Police Arrest Three

[webfact]

SOUTH CRISIS

South blasts: police arrest three

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Police have arrested three men over the past three days for their alleged links to the recent car bombs in Yala, Songkhla and Pattani, which killed 14 and injured many others.

National Police Chief General Priewphan Damapong yesterday disclosed that there was solid evidence against one of the men arrested, adding that it was believed that the suspect might have been involved in the deadly bombing incident at Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel in Songkhla's Hat Yai district on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha reiterated yesterday that several arrest warrants had been issued but did not identify the suspects or provide details as to which of the incidents they were allegedly involved in.

So far, two suspects are in custody after having been identified by other sources of information.

One of the suspects, Samlee Puluduereh, was arrested on Tuesday over charges of terrorism, attempted murder and possessing explosives. He is suspected of having planted a roadside bomb in Pattani, one of the many bomb attacks last weekend, including those in Yala and Songkhla's Hat Yai district.

The other is Anuwat Tohjeh, 22, a resident of Yala's Muang district, who was seen in security camera footage driving a vehicle following a pickup that was used in the Yala attack. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Samlee was apprehended in a police raid on his Pattani home, where he was found to have a 100-metre electrical cord, along with nails and steel-cutting pliers - material and equipment required for setting up roadside bombs.

Security camera footage showed a suspect resembling Samlee, and wearing clothing similar to what was found at his home.

At a press conference in Pattani yesterday, Samlee said he had been at home with his wife at the time of the attack, and denied that the trousers found in his house were his.

Speaking earlier in an interview, Yuthasak warned against the likelihood of further bomb attacks or other violence in the coming months to mark several notable occasions, including the anniversaries of the Tak Bai and Krue Se incidents, together with a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

"Whatever havoc they want to inflict, they will make it happen now, and get their rewards," he said.

As for those subject to yesterday's arrest warrants, he said the suspects worked at several levels, were attached to several groups of insurgents and were both old hands and new faces. He did not, however, give details of their identities or affiliations, or whether the warrants also covered people other than those suspected of carrying out last weekend's car bomb attacks at three locations.

He said a number of vehicles reported missing were being tracked down, and added that registration and parking regulations must be overhauled and strictly enforced in order to minimise the chance of more vehicle or motorcycle bombs in the future.

Asked about possible suicide bombs in the South, he said such a practice was still unlikely in Thailand.

Questioned on recent talks between Thai politicians and an insurgent leader, Yuthasak declined to comment. He also refused to say anything about talks with BRN Coordinate, an umbrella group representing various groups of insurgents in the deep South.

"I don't agree with negotiations and will not comment on the BRN talks. I am not allowed to do so," he added.

Yuthasak said he agreed with the Opposition's call to convene a parliamentary session to discuss the bomb attacks and possible solutions, but insisted that it would be a closed-door session.

Security has been heightened at four key airports in the wake of the bomb attacks, while surveillance was put in place at major locations with Muslim residents, including a soi in Sukhumvit and areas close to Ramkhamhaeng University, Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobam-rung said yesterday

He said extra measures would also be adopted at several locations tomorrow, Good Friday in the Christian calendar. He said the car bomb attacks in the deep South had nothing to do with the triple blasts in Bangkok in February involving five Iranian suspects.

The mayor of Hat Yai, Phrai Phatthano, said Malaysian authorities were happy with the assistance provided to Malaysian tourists affected by or wounded in the Hat Yai car bomb, but would raise the security issue at the Asean meeting being held in Cambodia.

He quoted senior Malaysian officials who visited Hat Yai on a regular basis since the attack to check on the situation.

Phrai said another 400 security cameras had been installed in the Hat Yai area, in addition to the first 100 units in operation before the weekend's attack. Private businesses will also be encouraged to install more units on their premises.

The Internal Security Operations Command said yesterday that it was capable of handling the situation in the South and maintaining security on its own, without intervention or assistance from international or other outside agencies.

Meanwhile, Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva called on Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to rethink the government's strategies towards the violence in the South.

He also criticised Defence Minister Sukamphol Suwannathat for floating the idea of negotiating with the insurgents.

-- The Nation 2012-04-05

[Thai at Heart]

"I don't agree with negotiations and will not comment on the BRN talks. I am not allowed to do so," he added.

Oh my god, the first time that someone in a position of responsibility hasn't run his mouth off when faced with a question. If this is down to the PTP spin meister Vejajiva I praise him to the hills.

[Sayonarax]

Divide and conquer. Hire a dam_n defense contractor or get someone with a clue of what their actually doing. There's an active Malaysian terrorist cell there, but do the Thais actually hit them with any kind of force? No.

[mowgus]

I'm kind of shocked that they nailed these guys so quickly. I hope this is not a case of grabbing the first suspect they could find to appease the press (and tourism).

And...electrical cord, nails and side-cutters? Wouldn't you find that in half the houses in Thailand?

Does anyone believe they installed 300 cameras in the past week? Then again...maybe they did but they're not connected to anything.

[webfact]

Four detained over deadly Thai blasts: police

NARATHIWAT, Thailand, April 5, 2012 (AFP) - Thai police have arrested four suspects in connection with a series of devastating bomb blasts in the insurgency-plagued deep south, an official said Thursday.

The car bombings in two southern cities on Saturday killed 15 people and wounded hundreds more in the deadliest attacks in the region in recent years.

Three Muslim men were detained on Wednesday evening at a house in Rueso district of Narathiwat province in an operation involving 50 police and paramilitaries, authorities said.

A stolen pick-up truck which was used in the attack in the city of Yala was earlier seen in front of the house of one of the suspects, said Colonel Satarnfa Wamasing of Rueso district police.

He said the licence plate of the truck was also put on a stolen car used in an attack on a hotel in the city of Hat Yai on Saturday.

"They still deny it but we have evidence that they met to plot the attacks," Satarnfa told AFP on telephone, adding that police were investigating records of their phone calls.

"There are more people involved but I can't say how many," he added.

One of the suspects is a Muslim cleric with nine outstanding arrest warrants, Satarnfa said.

The fourth suspect, who was arrested at his home in Yala province on Wednesday, was filmed by a security camera riding a motorcycle to pick up the driver of one of the vehicles used in the twin blasts in Yala, police said.

He also denies involvement.

The attacks marked an apparent escalation of a shadowy insurgency, without clearly stated aims, that has claimed thousands of lives since 2004.

The near-daily bomb or gun attacks are indiscriminate, targeting both soldiers and civilians, Buddhists and Muslims.

A state of emergency is in force in the worst-affected parts of the region, which rights campaigners say in effect gives the tens of thousands of military troops based in the area legal immunity and fuels rights abuses.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-04-05

[chooka]

I'm kind of shocked that they nailed these guys so quickly. I hope this is not a case of grabbing the first suspect they could find to appease the press (and tourism).

And...electrical cord, nails and side-cutters? Wouldn't you find that in half the houses in Thailand?

Does anyone believe they installed 300 cameras in the past week? Then again...maybe they did but they're not connected to anything.

Yes you would, but they also found some clothing "similar to" but "not the same" as what a suspect was wearing. I guess if you collate this evidence then you have enough for a quick arrest and conviction in Thailand. Get out there and find me an electrician who owns a pair of jeans and a "T" shirt and we will wrap this up before Songkran there is money to be collected from alcohol bans.

[tragickingdom]

The Nation is still in bed with terrorists. They were the first to mention peaceful demonstrators terrorists. They are the first to burn down people who fight article 112 but they refuse to call terrorists, terrorists and are calling them insurgents. They are carefully trying to upset Prem's people by calling bombers what they are.

[londonthai]

Hire a dam_n defense contractor or get someone with a clue of what their actually doing. There's an active Malaysian terrorist cell there

looks, like you are a qualified contractor.

where did you get about malaysians?

[PoodMaiDai]

I'd hate to be the kid they arrested who was simply driving behind the truck that was used in the explosion. Maybe he did it, maybe he didn't but if he didn't he will be forced into making a guilty plea. Really feel for that guy if he is innocent.

What we do know is, the Thai police will throw a few people under the bus on this one just to look good.

[Sayonarax]

Hire a dam_n defense contractor or get someone with a clue of what their actually doing. There's an active Malaysian terrorist cell there

looks, like you are a qualified contractor.

where did you get about malaysians?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Thailand_insurgency

[garrya]

I'd hate to be the kid they arrested who was simply driving behind the truck that was used in the explosion. Maybe he did it, maybe he didn't but if he didn't he will be forced into making a guilty plea. Really feel for that guy if he is innocent.

What we do know is, the Thai police will throw a few people under the bus on this one just to look good.

You are making conjectures that havent been supported by evidence.

"What we do know is" there are perpetrators out there causing a lof of mess. What should the Police do? Stop arresting people, and instead, send them invitation cards for a pleasent meeting??

[OzMick]

Perhaps his wife can shed some light on the trousers found in his house that he denies owning.